theme song

noun

plural theme songs

1

: a song or melody strongly associated with someone or something

a famous performer's theme song

the theme song of a political campaign

often : an identifying melody or song typically played at the beginning of a movie, television show, etc., and sometimes recurring during its course

Some of these shows were truly unforgettable, with catchy theme songs that are instantly recognizable decades later.

—Grant Butler

2

: a statement, expression, or opinion repeatedly heard from someone

But literary history is also entangled with criticism. Inevitably so; let me revert unblushingly to my theme song: in order to appreciate a masterpiece, we must be acquainted with its language …

—Albert Guerard

Examples of theme song in a Sentence

He was playing the theme song from “The Godfather.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Bill Lawrence names his favorite theme song Then there are the shows many thought were over for good. —Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2024

With its then-progressive depictions and storylines — an upper-class Black couple, a mixed-race pairing — and one of TV’s catchiest theme songs, the All in the Family spinoff broke barriers while attracting a massive and diverse audience. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2024

There’s even a very dramatic take on the classic Superman theme song. —Andrew Webster, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024

This revelation follows the release of Never Too Late, the theme song for his Disney+ documentary of the same name. —Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1